Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times his Department's Senior Information Risk Officer role has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Mr Steve Baker: Since the Formation of the Department - our Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) Role has remained filled. At any time that the post has been passed from Senior to Senior, a handover has been completed to ensure that there has been no gap and no loss of continuity.

Department for Exiting the European Union: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department is taking to implement the guidance set out by the Government Commercial Function in its paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, in respect of (a) using market engagement, (b) setting up disaggregation work, (c) risk assessment, (d) developing a programme plan through the transition, (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and (f) any other work related to that guidance.

Mr Steve Baker: As the Department for Exiting the European Union has only recently been established, it does not have any Large Expiring IT Contracts (LECs) and procures IT equipment through the existing Cabinet Office contracts. The Department is committed to the Government Commercial Operating Standards throughout all of its procurement.

UK Trade With EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) holds reports setting out the current economic relationship between the UK and other individual EU member states.

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has commissioned other government departments to produce reports of the current economic relationship between the UK and individual EU member states.

Mr Steve Baker: We are undertaking a comprehensive programme of work looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU. The Department for Exiting the European Union is working with other Government departments to examine all areas of the UK economy, seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders. This includes extensive diplomatic engagement with EU Member States.

Equipment: Safety

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the effect on the personal protective equipment market of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Steve Baker: We are working closely with colleagues across government and industry to understand the implications of the UK leaving the EU on manufacturers of personal protective equipment. We want to achieve the freest possible trading relationship with our European neighbours. We want to ensure that UK companies, including personal protective equipment manufacturers, have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and to let European businesses do the same in the UK.

EURATOM

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to European Council document EUCO XT 20011/17 published on 15 December 2017, whether the transitional arrangements will include UK membership of Euratom; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Steve Baker: We are proposing a strictly time-limited implementation period, based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations. The UK Government remains committed to ensuring a smooth transition to a UK nuclear safeguards regime; collaboration on research and development; minimising barriers to civil nuclear trade; and providing certainty. The exact terms of an Implementation Period are subject to our negotiations with the European Union.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Legal Profession

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the level of legal expertise on state aid and competition law is in his Department .

Mr Steve Baker: At present the Government Legal Department (GLD) provides around 40 lawyers in its Division advising the Department for Exiting the European Union. They have a wide variety of experience gained across government, regulators and in the private sector including in the areas of state aid and competition law. As part of the GLD, they can also draw on the expertise of barristers and solicitors working in various government departments and public bodies including the lawyers at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy who are the general lead for government on these topics.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Attorney General, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have advised that the requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost associated with data collection and collation in the current session.

Jeremy Wright: My department has answered 10 written parliamentary questions explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost. This is out of a total of 102 parliamentary questions that have been answered and represents 10% of the total.

Attorney General: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Jeremy Wright: Neither the AGO or HMCPSI recorded any data incidents in 2015-16 or 2016-17.The CPS recorded 183 data incidents in 2015-16 and 242 in 2016-17. Three of the incidents in 2015-16 were referred to the ICO and seven of the incidents in 2016-17.The SFO recorded nine data incidents in 2015-16 and 17 in 2016-17. None of these were deemed serious enough to require reporting to the ICO.The GLD recorded 63 security incidents in 2015-16 and 45 in 2016-17. None of the incidents in 2015-16 was deemed serious enough to require reporting to the ICO; one was reported to the ICO in 2016-17. The GLD does not specifically record ‘data incidents’ as a reporting category; the figures for ‘security incidents’ include physical and personal security, as well as information security.

Attorney General: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, how many times the Law Officers' Departments Senior Information Risk Officer roles has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Jeremy Wright: In the event of any Senior Information Risk Officer (SIRO) vacancy, a deputy SIRO or appropriate senior individual is appointed to temporarily cover the role.

Attorney General: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Attorney General, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Jeremy Wright: My department has answered six written parliamentary questions explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected or held centrally. This is out of a total of 102 parliamentary questions that have been answered in the 2017/18 session to date and represents just under 6% of the total number.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Waste: China

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he was first informed of the Chinese notification to the WTO of 18 July 2017 of its restrictions on imports of waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra Ministers were first alerted to China’s proposed import restrictions in July 2017. At Ministers’ request, Defra officials engaged with officials from the Department for International Trade and the Environment Agency over the summer and held meetings with industry in September to discuss the potential impacts of the restrictions.